Al Horford says KG is a nice guy

"We've gone at it back and forth," Horford said. "He says stuff you can't print. Mostly, he's letting me know that he runs things, that he's the man.

"That's him. You can't take it to heart. A lot of guys get caught up in it. Yeah, he gets you mad sometimes. He can get the best of you. But you have to deal with it."

Last Friday morning, as KG approached the 24-year old Atlanta Hawks big man, neither Horford nor Garnett was in uniform. They had gathered for a meeting of Eastern Conference All-Stars, and Garnett reached out to Horford, offered his hand and asked him how his trip was.

"He was so nice," Horford marveled. "Completely different. But that's because I'm on his side now."

Horford offered this advice to anyone in KG's crosshairs:

"You just can't take it on," Horford said. "They have such a strong core that when [Garnett starts in], they all rally up around him and each other. It's a good thing — if you are the Celtics."